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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 643

The campaign group of eight awarded to Colonel W. H. Hore, Royal Engineers, an officer who combined military survey, geography, teaching and public duties and was closely involved with the preparations for D-Day when in command of 1 Air Survey Liaison Section

1939-45 Star; Burma Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, S. E. Asia 1945-46; Coronation 1953; Territorial Decoration, E.II.R., reverse officially dated '1954', mounted as worn, very fine (8)

Wilfred Harry Hore - or Freddie to his friends and comrades - was born on 14 July 1915. The below article has been assisted by an obituary written by Ian Russell & Ken Joels.

He had outstanding careers in Military Survey and Education which for a great part of his life overlapped by way of geography, surveying and teaching.

His early education was at Torquay Grammar School followed by three years at University College of the South West at Exeter. Freddie read Geography at Selwyn College Cambridge through an open exhibition and progressed to a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. During this time, he joined the Cambridge University OTC and was commissioned in November 1940.

Joining the Army, he served with the 14 Corps Field Survey Company Royal Engineers before postings to 1 and later, 4 Air Survey Liaison Sections Royal Engineers, both of which he commanded. In the former unit he was closely involved with the preparations for D-Day.

Post-war he took up his career in education and progressed from being a teacher at Plympton Grammar School to Senior Geography Master at Portsmouth Grammar School. During this period, he became involved with the CCF and inevitably progressed to Military Survey as OC of 338 Cartographic Squadron RE (TA) which was followed by appointment as CO of 135 Survey Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers (TA). He held this command from 1951 to 1956.
At this time, he was appointed Headmaster of BEC (Grammar) School Tooting and progressed to be appointed Head of the Royal Grammar School, Guildford (1966-1975). Never one to be idle, during this period he was awarded the Territorial Decoration, appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Surrey, and was granted Honorary Colonel appointments to 135 Field Survey Squadron RE, the 5th Cadet Battalion Surrey ACF and The Royal Grammar School Guildford CCF. Furthermore, he was promoted to the honorary rank of Colonel.

It was during his period as Honorary Colonel to 135 Field Survey Squadron Royal Engineers that he campaigned successfully to the Ministry of Defence and the London Territorial Army Association against the establishment cuts planned for the Squadron. He was the author of '135 Survey Engineer Regiment (TA) 1945-1989' published in 1965.

Colonel Hore died on 5 February 2008.

Sold together with some photocopied research. Further references to Hore can be found in:

'Air survey in the liberation of Europe' by Col. W H Hore, published in Surveying World, May 1995 and another article in Geomatics World, Issue 5, Vol 22, 2014, Page 26.


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Sold for
£280

Starting price
£180